Even now, Trump and his campaign have specifically sought to have officials toss out all votes cast in heavily African American populated cities like Atlanta, Detroit, and Milwaukee. It is a tactic used since, during, and after Reconstruction: disenfranchise Blacks and the poor.
Our nation’s racially-discriminatory cash bail system has left hundreds of non-violent misdemeanor suspects to die in jail while awaiting trial, simply because they are poor. A 2015 study identified more than 800 deaths in local jails and lockups; more than 75% of those in local jails have not been convicted, and 70% of those awaiting trial are detained for non-violent offenses.
In a few weeks, the Senate will decide whether a D.C. Circuit Court judge named Brett Kavanaugh should be the nation’s next Supreme Court justice. And from my office window, I can already hear the battle cries.